Emotional Health

Emotional Health

How well you handle stress, anger, relationships, work, family life-it all factors into your emotional health. Finding balance in life-as well as peace of mind-helps us cope with life's ups and downs. Take time to explore new ways to find stress relief, and to release anxiety, and unhappiness. Counseling can help-as can a gratitude journal.

If you're feeling hopeless, understand first that these feelings are completely normal. Then, take a look at where you are right now. Where did you find the strength to get out of bed this morning? If you didn't get out of bed, what might help you to? If the doorbell rang, who would you be happy to see? What do you look forward to? Can you think of something greater than the present moment?

Hope is not something that someone else can hand to you. It's uniquely yours. The universal symbol for hope is a butterfly. Think about a butterfly alighting on your arm. What does your butterfly look like? Is it a brightly-colored red and orange? Are its wings shaded in calm blues and greens? Trace its journey -- and yours.

The next step is doing. Doing gives most people a sense of satisfaction. So think about what you want to do first. What's important to you right now? What can you do about it?

If you are a religious person, you may find solace in worship, prayer and text study. Most religious traditions touch on hope and hopelessness. Many have liturgies that move beyond the physical world into other realms. Some people draw strength from the idea of life beyond death. Do some exploring, on your own or with the help of clergy or a chaplain. What does your faith tradition teach about guilt, forgiveness and mercy? How can you apply these teachings to your own situation?

Other people might gain strength from networks of family, friends or community. Maybe spiritual exercises can boost your mood. Remember that it's not a one-shot deal. It's something that you will have to work on over and over. Sometimes you might feel like you're a train wreck waiting to happen, and you have no control over when the train will derail. That's normal. Don't get angry at yourself when you feel bad. Try to live in the present, from moment to moment. And when sometimes you can't do that, that's okay too.

Life is a journey. Where we go on that journey can change from day to day. Some days you'll be fine, and you'll be able to do what you need to do. Other days, you won't be able to do anything. On those days, try to step back and think about the better days. Do whatever you need to do to get through the bad days. Don't judge yourself. As trite as it sounds, remember that life is precious. Take nothing for granted. Your life can change in unexpected ways at any time. In the time you have, try to do what you want to do to the extent that you’re able.

Body esteem is how a person feels about her physical appearance, including weight, hair, eyes, fingernails and other features that comprise the way she looks. Self-esteem is how a person feels about herself as a person. Self-esteem is a broader concept that may encompass feelings about personality, relationships, accomplishments, spirituality and in small part, physical appearance. Problems can occur when self-esteem is completely defined by body esteem, when what should be one small "slice of the pie" becomes the whole pie.

Positive thinking -- generally approaching life, and even unpleasantness, with an upbeat, productive attitude -- can be as important to your health as getting enough sleep, eating right and being active. The health benefits of positive thinking may include:

According to a report from The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt in Baltimore, daily social networking may be harmful to self esteem. When 600 Facebook users ages 16 to 40 were asked a series of questions, the answers pointed to some interesting insights:

51% felt more self conscious about their appearance (body and face) after seeing photos posted online

32% felt sad when they compared their photos to friends' online photos

44% wished they had their friend’s body when they looked at photos online

37% said they needed to change something about their body when looking at friends' photos online

Only 25% were happy with their body

Within this group of survey participants, some had also been tempted to engage in disordered eating behaviors because of their Facebook perceptions. With photos now living on line 24/7, susceptible individuals are at risk of developing body image issues and eating disorders. Parents and friends need to be vigilant and quickly intervene when they suspect beginning signs of depression, anxiety or an eating disorder in someone they know.

The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is an acupressure technique that can be very effective in releasing emotionally charged issues including fears, phobias, and even physical maladies. The six steps to performing the Emotional Freedom Technique are as follows:

1. Focus on the issue at hand and feel the feeling as intensely as you can.

2. Rate the intensity of the feeling from 1 to 10 (10 being the most intense).

3. Correct any “psychological reversals.” These are self-defeating attitudes (often unconscious) that can get in the way of healing. Do this by saying the following affirmation three times with conviction while rubbing the “sore spot” in a clockwise direction. “Even though I have this __________ (note the feeling, etc.), I deeply and completely accept myself.” Fill the blank in with the issue you are treating for. Examples are “Even though I have this fear of public speaking, I deeply and completely accept myself,” or “Even though I have this feeling of rejection because of what he/she said to me, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

4. Tap about seven times solidly (with the tips of your index and middle fingers on one hand) on each of the eight EFT points. Start with point #1 and proceed through point #8. As you do this, repeat a reminder phrase, “this __________ (e.g., anxiety),” while feeling it. As you tap point #8 (the crown of your head), some people like to take a deep breath, imagining that they are breathing out the situation.

5. Now take a minute to reevaluate the intensity of the feeling. Does it feel the same? Give it a new rating. Be aware if the feeling has shifted to another emotion. If it has shifted, it is important to treat again for whatever has come up.

6. Keep treating until you reach a zero rating. It may take a few rounds, but after you are done, you should feel a state of inner calm.

Consider tapping while saying the affirmations right before going to bed at night. This gives your subconscious hours to work on the issues for you. In addition, you only need to tap on one side of the body, and it does not matter which side of the body you choose. It is okay to switch from one side to the other in the middle of the session. For instance, it works even if you tap on the side of your right eye and end up tapping under the arm of your left side.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), an acupressure technique, is especially helpful for phobias, fears, anxieties, traumas, anger, depression, resentment, guilt, low self-esteem, and many other uncomfortable emotions. People have also been successful in eliminating allergies, food cravings, physical symptoms, and harmful beliefs with this technique. The main ingredient for success in using EFT is the willingness to use it and the determination to see it through. Some issues are easier to clear than others and may need more treatments. For especially traumatic, complex, or deep-seated issues, it may be helpful to work with an EFT practitioner.